No, I am not showing anything compromising here! LOL. I am wondering, is there another word for that. In my story the compromising material is an old email with photos, but this will not be revealed until the climax. But it plays a major role in the story and I need to refer to it regularly in a general term. Anyone? Thanks Hetty
Thanks. It actually is blackmail fodder and I was also looking for a word for "the stuff that is being used to blackmail her" There probably is a legal term, but there may be other ones....
I suppose extortion involves money? My character is being blackmailed by the police into silence about a cover up involving her husband.
Not really. I've never imagined it to always involve money, and I've never seen any definition that says so either. But that's just me, I can't really say how other people view it, but I can guess. Most of the times I define the word to mean 'to demand something from someone using compromising material'. For example, I've encountered the word extortion used for demanding sex services, and it fits well. Ultimately, it's up to you.
Extortion also includes demanding something by means of a threat. "Pay me two hundred a week or I'll wipe out your business and kill your family." That is also extortion. So is, "Give me your lunch money or you get a brown swirly."
